stinger

noun

ˈstiŋ-ər How to pronounce stinger (audio)
Definition of stingernext
as in punch
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument in the eighth round he delivered a stinger that knocked his opponent flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stinger Brand New Day sees the return of Gargan as comic-book villain Scorpion, who sports an armored suit complete with a mechanized tail and stinger. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 31 July 2026 Cormier says that bees can be dangerous (even dead ones can sting, if stepped on, so long as their stinger and venom sac are still intact). — Richard Schiffman, Christian Science Monitor, 22 July 2026 As a result, different parasitoid wasps have evolved a wide variety of stinger shapes and sizes to deal with this variety of targets. — Philip Anderson, The Conversation, 8 July 2026 His work rig was a Ford F-350 sneaker—the kind with the stinger. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stinger
  1. punch
  2. blow
  3. slap
  4. thump
  5. thud
  6. hit
  7. swipe
  8. stroke
Noun
  • The Athletic examines what makes this type of punch special and why Garcia, who defends his WBC welterweight title against Conor Benn this weekend, is equipped with one of the most potent weapons in the sport.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Guadagnino’s next stop is The Conformist (1970) swiftly followed by Last Tango in Paris (1972), the one-two punch that set him up as a major player in world cinema.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of punch
Noun
  • There have been plenty of in-game rotations, promising combinations, fluidity and creativity, but without the delivery of a final hammer blow.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The residents had sustained another blow when my friend, John Ahern, was a passenger on Pan Am Flight 103 that exploded on December 21, 1988 from a terrorist bomb over Lockerbie, Scotland.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Her Oscars triumph was also the night of the notorious Will Smith-Chris Rock on-stage slap, which overshadowed coverage.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Broadwick’s pink front door spits you out slap-bang in the middle of it all like a tongue.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • If those ground tests show the jet’s acoustic thump is soft enough for suburban skies, NASA plans to fly the X-59 over several US communities to gather public feedback.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Their pitching is good, Griffin Jax could return soon, and Liam Hicks has added some thump to a lineup previously built around three really good hitters (Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda) and a bunch of do-your-job role players.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of thump
Noun
  • In 2019, the coach Brian Flores era began with a resounding thud as the Dolphins were trounced, 59-10, by Baltimore.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Others joined him and the thud of clubs on tree trunks resumed.
    — Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of thud
Noun
  • Walker’s Brian got a beautiful sendoff in the iconic ending scene of the billion-dollar hit, but Fast patriarch Vin Diesel has hinted that Brian could return for the upcoming 11th and final installment.
    — Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Feig is coming off the hit The Housemaid, the Sydney Sweeney-starrer that grossed $400 million worldwide for Lionsgate, with a sequel in the works.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of hit
Noun
  • Last month, Vance hurled himself into an obscure debate over burrito prices to make a gratuitous swipe at a conservative Washington Post columnist’s weight.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
  • For those who take pride in their pouty lips (or their ability to talk their way out of just about anything), a swipe of lipstick and nothing else is a cool way to look put together without the hustle of actually putting yourself together.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of swipe
Noun
  • Stefanos Tsitsipas was the last man or woman with the stroke standing in New York, but he was well beaten by Ben Shelton in the fourth round.
    — Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Each of those changes in the heart looks small, but they have been linked with cardiovascular disease and stroke.
    — Barbara Mantel, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stroke

Browse Nearby Words

sting
stinger
stingers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stinger. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of quorum

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All